Draft NASA Buyout Plan
JUSTIFICATION:
NASA is in the process of totally restructuring the agency. This effort is being undertaken in the context of a comprehensive NASA management reform initiative, the central objective of which is transitioning to NASA management by Enterprises. NASA Headquarters staffing levels are being driven by ZBR allocations, NPR guidance to reduce staffing levels at Headquarters offices by 50%, and the fundamental changes in the way we do business within the Agency based on the Administrator’s guidance of February 1996. NASA’s objective is to establish the appropriate management structure at Headquarters in anticipation of fully transitioning program implementation responsibilities currently resident at Headquarters to the NASA Centers.
Our on-board FTE at the end of the fiscal year 1996 was 1346; our target (go-to) ceiling is 951. An occupational analysis of the difference between these two numbers shows that the discrepancies between the on-board strength and the desired strength are variably excessive in the following order; clerical/secretarial, professional/administrative and engineering/science. Based upon that analysis, we have set target numbers for the buyout which reflect the organizational needs of Headquarters. We believe that, if obtained at the target levels set for the buyout (and coupled with other planned staff reductions), the need for a forced reduction of staff at the end of the current fiscal year would be materially lessened. If, however, we were unable to offer a significant incentive for the voluntary separation (buyout), we would not be able to achieve the 951 staffing level and a forced reduction would be the only viable alternative.
ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES:
Headquarters employees (excluding Code W), including Headquarters detailees with duty stations other than Washington, DC, who are serving on appointments without time limitation, who have been continuously employed with NASA for at least 12 months prior to the effective date of their separation, and who are not listed in the “ineligible category” would be eligible for buyout, in the following priority order:
a. Science/engineering occupations (typically NASA classification codes 200, 700, 900) – Buyout will be offered to a total of 20 employees, in the following order of priority:
(1) Employees separating on or before January 4, 1997
(2) all others
b. Professional/administrative occupations (typically NASA classification code 600) – Buyout will be offered to a total of 75 employees, in the following order of priority:
(1) Employees separating on or before January 4, 1997
(2) NPR targeted occupations (GS-201, 212, 221, 230, 235, 246, 260, 343, 345, 501, 505, 510, 511, 560, 1101, 1102, 1103, 1150, 1910)
(3) Al others
c. Clerical/support occupations (typically NASA classification code 500) – Buyout will be offered to a total of 75 employees, in the following order of priority:
(1) Employees separating on or before January 4, 1997
(2) Secretaries (GS-318)
(3) All others
Employees separating through January 4, 1997, will receive priority consideration over all other employees. Employees separating after January 4, 1997, will be considered in the priority categories listed above. If there is a need for a tie-breaker, service computation date for leave accrual purposes will be used.
In addition, if the number of buyout applicants form an occupational category in a specific Headquarters Code exceeds the number designated as excess for that organization, it is understood by the Officials-in-Charge that vacancies will be filled only by Headquarters employees from other Codes, either by advertisement or reassignment. Approval to recruit to fill a position NASA-wide will be on an exception basis. These exception requests must be approved by the Associate Administrator for Headquarters Operations, and will require an appropriate justification indicating that the skills necessary to perform the function are not available in Headquarters, and that no Headquarters employee could perform the function within 90 days. Hiring into Headquarters from outside NASA will remain restricted for the foreseeable future. Any requests to hire outside Headquarters will require the concurrence of the Associate Administrator for Headquarters Operations, and must be approved by the Acting Deputy Administrator.
INELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES:
The following Headquarters employees will be ineligible to receive buyout:
a. Employees occupying attorney positions
b. Employees occupying positions at JPL Management Office
c. Employees occupying overseas positions
d. Reemployed annuitants
e. Employees eligible for disability retirement
f. Employees retiring under discontinued service regulations
g. Employees who have received a relocation, recruitment or retention bonus within the last 12 months
h. Employees who have received dual compensation waivers
i. Employees who are in approved continuous non-paid, non-duty status after September 30, 1996, except for those covered under the Worker’s Compensation Program.
APPLICATION PERIOD:
Applications will be accepted beginning November 4, 1996, and ending November 22, 1996. No individual request to extend the application window will be granted. NOTE: This opening date is contingent upon Code FP approval of the Headquarters Buyout Plan in sufficient time to permit appropriate notification and communication to Headquarters employees. All employees will be encourage to apply during the application window period.
SEPARATION PERIOD:
Employees accepting buyout must separate between December 8, 1996, and February 3, 1997. Extensions for delayed separations will be granted on an exception basis only, and must be requested by the Official-in-Charge, concurred by the Associate Administrator for Headquarters Operations and the Associate Administrator for Human Resources and Education, and approved by the Acting Deputy Administrator.
NUMBER OF SEPARATIONS:
For FY 97, buyouts will be offered to a total of 170 employees, comprised of a maximum of 20 Science/engineering, 75 professional/administrative, and 75 clerical/support. The total number of separations from the Senior Executive Services will be limited to 40 (this is not an addition to the total number, but encompasses the buyouts listed above).
For FY 1998-2000, additional buyout offerings will be contingent upon an assessment toward the Headquarters “go-to” plans and skill mix distribution, and may include offerings of less than $25,000.